Has anyone considered more than 1 layout?

[FJ and G]

As you know, I'm busy with my outdoor toy train garden RR, but I have a number of tinplate structures and am considering a small 027 3-rail layout in the future in which to showcase them and do some tinplate scratchbuilding.

Anyone else ever considered more than 1 layout and what is your rationale?

[dwiemer]

Dave, I am considering it right now. The reason, I have a bunch of old HO from the days when girls meant more than trains to me, and I have a large scale Thomas set that I know I will have to set up for my son. Not sure how we will be doing this.
Dennis

[pbjwilson]

Of course.
At one time I had an HO and O gauge layouts in the basement. Last year I started an N gauge layout that didnt get to far. And I would like a little tinplate layout as well. I just cant stay focused on any one layout or gauge. I want and like them all. One of my long term plans is to have a G gauge setup in my greenhouse. The greenhouse needs lots of work before I can start on that one though.

[Bob Keller]

I've got three.

O, S, UK OO.

Doesn't everyone have three or four? [:o)]

[Anonymous]

right now i'm working on 3 layouts. my own in my house, my brother-in-laws layout (sometimes i feel like i do more work on it than he does) and an 80' x 35' club layout. i think everyone should be involved in more than one layout it lets you spread out ideas insted of cramming them all together

[DCmontana]

I have to set something up for my son's Thomas outfit; we will soon be a "two layout family!"

[Jumijo]

I'm planning 2 separate small O27 layouts in addition to the one we already have in the "train room".

One is going to be built on a hollow core door. It will be portable so we can take it outside, on vacation, or to shows. I'm going to use regular O27 track and switches and will most likely run the Thomas engines on it, as well as our Beep, and some post war Scouts. The purpose of this layout is to use it as a learning device for me and the kids. I'll be able to attempt some block wiring and some remote switching. If I don't burn the house down, the kids will learn to build scenery and run their trains responsibly. The great thing about door layouts, is that they can also act as modules for a bigger layout. Diabolical, no?

The second additional layout, if you want to call it that, will be more of a display for my den. All it will be is a circle of tinplate track with some scenery. I got the idea from the photo below. It's a picture of an old Lionel dealer's display. I thought it was charming the minute I layed eyes on it. My hope is to replicate the look and feel of the original. Again, some small loco and a few cars will run on this one.




Jim

[mickey4479]

Besides my under the Christmas tree circle, my basement layout is big enough for me as far as layouts are concerned, 320+ feet of track and I am still not finished (does anyone really finish?). But I confess that I like to make saw dust and build. I agree that it would be fun to participate with a club on a big layout. I just have so many other things going that one more train layout is not in my plans.

[BillP1]

Thinking about a small N gauge layout to take up to the trailer this summer. (No trrom there for O gauge.)

----------------------- Bill

[spankybird]

Yep - we got two, the big main one, 10' x 20' and then in a smaller room in the basement, is our circus 5' x 8' layout. Then off course, there is the Christmas and Halloween layouts.

[c50truck]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pbjwilson

Of course.
One of my long term plans is to have a G gauge setup in my greenhouse. The greenhouse needs lots of work before I can start on that one though.

I have a similar long-range goal with G gauge. I'm planning to run the train around the greenhouse and thru the floral shop. I plan on a water feature for the train as well. But the short- term reality will be an O gauge for the fall and Christmas season.

Had HO, brother has most of it now.

Rationale? I can play with trains at work, and maybe get some advertising bang from it.

Rod

[Anonymous]

Same here , 16' x 40' garden railway 8 years operating [:p]
, our outdoor layout .... http://home1.gte.net/web10fm3/
[:D] and I , recently found 3 rail O-27
trains thru a Lionel Thomas set for my grandkids . Can not see well enough to return to my orginial HO scale from years ago . So now I am trying to figure a way for a 4' x 8' layout in the house , so when its the dead of the night ...or zero degrees .outside , ..or raining buckets .........or whatever , and I would like to stay warm and dry or cool enough to enjoy running some trains . I've got to get the track up off the floor and onto some benchwork , getting hard to get up and down from the floor , of course the grandkids like grandpaw laying on the floor .........running trains .

[palallin]

Counting my sons' floor layout and the various protable and under-the-tree layouts, we have six--five in O, one in Standard Gauge. and I still want to fini***he 2-rail O Timesaver.

[Richard A]

From time to time, I get really serious about another high-rail layout (current work in progress models the desert southwest centered around El Paso, Tx circa 1950 (+/-). El Paso is my home town and I had family that worked on the SP - T&NO for 30 years.

But I have lived in upstate New York for 30 years and really want to model the New York Central circa 1945 (+/-). Rather than compromise on my southwestern layout (it's only SP, SF, T&NO, etc) by running eastern railroads on it, I'd rather have a separate layout for the eastern road(s). And of course the scenery is totally different between the two.

Rationale? Partly what I've already stated, and partly because the feasibility factor will increase markedly after this coming September when my wife and I become empty nesters. I'm counting the days! When the "kid" leaves (college...........far away), we plan to move to a single level house with a basement. I already have dibs on the basement and one first floor room. If the house is big enough, I'd like to put both layouts in the same room or at least very close together, but................

BTW, we haven't decided yet if we'll tell the "kid" that we're moving or where we'll be! [:D]

[FJ and G]

Guess I'm surprised that so many indicated other scales. Tho Tom and Jim have ideas similar to mine of an additional toy train layout. It likely will be at my workplace when we move to our new location in Crystal City, as coworkers have been clamoring to see trains.

Palallin,

The "timesaver" layout is a misnomer (probably done on purpose for humorous reasons). It actually takes a bit of thought to do the switching movements.

[darianj]

I just starting my first layout; but it seem perfectly rational to me to have a second or third layout for various reasons.

[palallin]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G


Palallin,

The "timesaver" layout is a misnomer (probably done on purpose for humorous reasons). It actually takes a bit of thought to do the switching movements.

Actually, I've often heard it called the "Timewaster" [;)] Still, I have everything I need to do it EXCEPT the time [:D]

[Anonymous]

Yes I'm thinking of puting up a new Ho layout or put up a 2nd level to my existing o gauge layout. I still have quite a bit of fleischman track and switches left. This time I am looking for american prototype electric engines that have working pantagraphs so that I can build the layout with working cantenary. I will not have any trouble geting the overhead wire but I am not so sure if I will be able to find the engines that I may want. Felix

[Dr. John]

Yep. At one time I had three. Currently, I have a 2x6 On30 switching layout and a small 2x4 N Unitrack layout. The O-27 layout is still in the planning stages, but will measure approximately 6x12 feet.

[jonadel]

I have looked longingly at doing a simple garden layout this summer, we have the perfect place.............. I'd also need to do a subway to get rid of the #$@% mole we have right now! I'm thinking dynamite[:(!]

Jon

[GregM]

Add me to the list of people that contemplate having two layouts. My reasoning is that I have been bit by the scale bug pretty bad but I have lots of other non-scale trains. I have no intention of getting rid of much of the non scale items. So rather than just pack them away I think about a "toy" layout for them. Maybe one of these days I will actually start to work on a layout again. The layout I had worked on for a couple years had too many flaws in the track plan to continue with it.

[Anonymous]

I'm involved in Z, HO (Marklin), O, On30, Standard Gauge, and Large Scale, but currently have only a small Standard Gauge layout and a shelf-type On30 layout up and running. When I move again--hopefully in the not too distant future, I plan to have a Standard Gauge layout, a Marx (all-tinplate) layout, an On30 pike, and a garden railroad outdoors. I'm divesting myself of most of my Marklin HO and a lot of O gauge, except for a few favorite items, and am also disposing of a lot of Z scale, aside from some things that I want to keep on hand for another briefcase layout or two since I enjoy building those from time to time.

Never met a scale that I didn't like, and I've tried just about all of them at one time or another (got back into the hobby in N scale).

[Anonymous]

In addition to the unfinished 23 x 13 layout [with trains running] here in the Condo's upstairs, I have a twin shelf, five track ,14 x 28 TMCC operation in our mountain cottage.
Not a "layout" in the typical sense------five separate ovals, one with a 7' siding, on shelves at 7'6" and 9'-0' above floor level. Now powered by five 180 watt PowerHouses that last year replaced 3 pw ZWs which had provided power since 1992.
Two tracks equipped with TPCs for Conventional operation when desired. Track length is good for running long trains and two trains in the same power district.

[pbjwilson]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jonadel

I have looked longingly at doing a simple garden layout this summer, we have the perfect place.............. I'd also need to do a subway to get rid of the #$@% mole we have right now! I'm thinking dynamite[:(!]

Jon

[prewardude]

Well, my layout (which has been in the plywood stage for several years now) started life as a postwar-style layout, but with the availability of the new tinplate items, it is now headed toward being a Standard gauge layout. And here is where my problem starts: I also like O gauge tinplate a lot! So I'm either going to end up with a combination Standard/O tinplate layout, or I'm going to end up with a seperate O tinplate layout. I dunno. I'm conflustered (I just made that word up!). [%-)]

Regards,
Clint

[traindaddy1]

For years I had just one, an HO. When I started with O-27, I dropped the HO layout @ 20"and used the original height for the O-27. This gave me an upper level "play-with-it " larger size train layout and an "admire-the-detail" scale layout on the lower level. It was a little bit of work but well worth the time and energy. I think that layouts of different sizes are a good idea if you can manage it. For me. getting away from the " finicky scale" proved to be a valuable respite. Thanks for asking.

[Anonymous]

Multiple layouts or model railroads are needed is some cases.

The Eastern U.S. in Winter during the 1940's and 1950's is clearly distinct from the Central U.S. in the Summer during the 1970's and 1980's.

Some concepts and themes will not overlap.

Andrew F.

[Anonymous]

My motto is, "Build small, but build many". My "main" layout is 5x8 "O", Christmas is 4x6 "O". Also have 4x6 AF "S", 2x4 "N", and battery R/C "G" in the garden. My Grandkids are very entertained at my house...so am I. Joe

[Fred Bear]

This is an illness for which there is no cure, except more trains & accessories. Do men ever mature? Yes, but it's finally been pinned down that men mature 6 months after death. Jake

[FJ and G]

So many words of wisdom here[:D]:

Jake writes: "This is an illness for which there is no cure, except more trains & accessories. Do men ever mature? Yes, but it's finally been pinned down that men mature 6 months after death."

(you tend to lose weight as well)[:D]

------

Joe writes: "My motto is, "Build small, but build many"."

and Falcon writes: "Multiple layouts or model railroads are needed is some cases."

and TrainDaddy writes: "I think that layouts of different sizes are a good idea if you can manage it."

Right on! But I don't see the wives weighing in on this one, as train real estate must come from some other space.

Paul's photo might describe wives' responses to multiple layouts (beware if she asks you to update your will with more bennies for her):